A determined team of ten worked above the call of duty for most of the summer following a wicked widespread storm in late July that blew in abruptly, then another rush of winds in late August.
Mayor Jess Alumbaugh commended the small Citywide Maintenance crew and their supervisor for their extraordinary efforts during that time. “James Loftis and his Citywide Maintenance Team did a tremendous job in cleaning up the city of Marion following the wind storms that tore through our community.”
Loftis described the enormity of the first storm on July 23rd, 2022. “It was probably the worst debris from a storm we’ve ever experienced citywide. There were 20+ calls of trees down the next day.” He even witnessed a tree come down on a house close by as he was talking to a resident.
Immediately following the storm, he observed many citizens helping other citizens. “It was awesome to see everyone helping each other – it had an ‘old school’ feel. It was refreshing to see that it’s still there in this community,” James expressed.
Loftis said his team put forth an enormous amount of work into the massive cleanup. “My crew worked 10 to 12-hour days including evenings and weekends for more than three weeks straight to get trees, limbs, and debris cleaned up from each neighborhood throughout the city. Overall, I’m impressed with their dedication and work ethic, and grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made away from their families. For what they do, I would take this small group over a large group any day. I couldn’t ask for a better team.”
The Citywide Maintenance Crew currently consists of ten employees under Loftis: Joe Boller, Mark Casto, Brad Evans, Randy Hiatt, Zach Hodge, Larry McKee, Gabe Newsom, Mike Petoski, Rhonda Pierson, and David Sheward.
